JEANNE INDRIANI
Phase 2
Fast Digital Fashion
This virtual experience transports you to a dystopian reality where fast fashion brands have fully embraced the digital realm, operating with the same unsustainable practices that have caused environmental and social harm in the physical world. As you explore the immersive environment, you'll encounter retro-futuristic architecture and vibrant digital creations that evoke escapism. However, as you progress, the darker side of this fast-paced, fleeting digital world becomes apparent. The journey culminates in a virtual fashion retail space, where rising sea levels serve as a stark reminder of the consequences of our actions. This experience challenges perceptions of both the digital and physical worlds, urging us to reflect on the true cost of our pursuit of constant newness.
The VR Experience
As you enter this immersive virtual realm, the tangible and natural give way to a world of digital creations. You'll encounter a mesmerizing array of digital garments in vibrant colours, suspended in mid-air, alongside levitating rings and spheres. A gleaming dome ahead beckons, featuring luminous blue dolphins swimming through the air and oversized digital plants. The path leads through retro-futuristic structures and abstract, entangled installation art.
As you continue, you arrive at a floating retail space in the middle of the sea, marked by a sign reading 'Fast Digital Fashion.' At the entrance, a unique garment is priced at $9,500, while deeper inside, you'll find nearly identical pieces at much lower prices. The store features satirical brands—Zaraverse, H&More, and Shien—referencing real-world fast fashion giants. These digital knock-offs serve as a sharp critique of the fast fashion industry.
As you explore, the water level begins to rise, gradually submerging the space—a powerful metaphor for rising sea levels and the environmental consequences of fast fashion.
Rigging Clo Avatar in Mixamo Workflow:
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First, export a clo avatar as an fbx file and import it into mixamo. Then, download the rigged avatar as an fbx in T-pose without any animation.
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Next, add the desired animation to the avatar and re-download it as an fbx file with the animation included.
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In Clo, create a joint motion from the animated avatar fbx file and save it as a .mtn file.
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In a new Clo project, open the T-pose fbx file. To add the garment that is saved separately in another project, go to 'add' and 'project' and select only the 'garment' box.
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Finally, add the joint motion file to the avatar. Go to the animation window and press the record button to start animating the garment movement.
Adding animation render into VR space:
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In Unity, create a new plane object and a new render texture. Assign the texture to the planes.
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On the planes, add the "Video Player" component and set the "Render Mode" to "Render Texture" and target texture to the previously created render texture.
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Import the video into Unity and assign it to the video player on each plane. Make sure the video is set to play in a loop.
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Adjust the size of the render texture in the inspector window to fit the planes.
Creating Knock-off Garments
The replica of the Fabricant garment is prominently displayed in the virtual space with a price tag of $ 9,500. As the audience explores further, they will see similar garments in different styles and colors, priced lower. These garments are variations of the knock-off and have been created with different fabric textures to mimic the trends in the fast fashion industry.
Building the Space
In this virtual space, 3 planes are used as screens to display advertisement clips of knock-off garments. This is done to avoid the performance issues that can be caused by displaying 3D garment objects. The rising water level in the space partially submerges the digital retail area, with some garments displayed above the water and others submerged.
The Fabricant
$ 9,500
Analysis
Phase 2
Imperfections
Climate crisis and environmental degradation are non-existent in the digital world as part of the appeal is the perfection and utopian elements. For many, the virtual world is a diversion from the day-to-day challenges and societal problems of the physical world. This is an aspect of digital fashion that intrigues me. Imperfection does not exist in the digital world due to its ability to edit, undo, and delete anything with a click of a button. In digital fashion, there is no need for recycled material, upcycling, or zero-waste approaches because it is a utopia where all of our physical world concerns seem irrelevant here. These digital garments are designed to create shapes similar to off-cuts that are generated when cutting garment patterns on fabric. This highlights the 'imperfection’ of the physical world that is rejected by its digital counterpart.
Water Level - Partially Submerged
As the audience progresses through the space, they're confronted with the stark reality of a world submerged by rising seawater - a powerful reminder of the urgent need for change and the consequences of our actions. The flooded retail space, with garments partially submerged, further drives home the message of the destructive impact of fast fashion on our planet.
Original Dress x Fast Digital Fashion Knock-Offs.
As you enter this virtual retail space, you're greeted by a display of knock-off garments, designed to closely resemble a luxury version, but priced at a fraction of the cost. These garments are presented under three fictional fast fashion brands: Zaraverse, H&More and Shien, a satirical nod to real-world fast fashion giants Zara, H&M and Shein. These garments serve as a commentary on the fast fashion industry, highlighting the negative impact of the relentless pursuit of cheap, disposable fashion.
After being conditioned by years of low prices, consumer behavior stemming from fast fashion may translate to digital purchasing. With trends shifting quickly online, the digital space is becoming synonymous with a constant, ephemeral desire for newness, mirroring the traits of the fast fashion industry and perpetuating its unsustainable practices.